17 June 2015 (08:14PM)- Van Zyls Rust
Namibia 2015
After a long wait and many months preparation we get the trip underway. This is the fourth annual Ferreira tour. This year it is a formal photographic adventure with Outdoor Photo (ODP) on their Namibian tour. Marius has bought a new 7D2 and I invested (almost too) heavily in new long lenses as well as a 7D2, some extra short lenses and a flash etc.. We will be exposed to a variety of photography over twelve intense days!
We leave later than planned as we got to bed late and I allow Sue to lie in while I finish some work. We have heavy traffic out of Johannesburg, but it gets better near Krugersdorp. Finally we hit the open road and can give the new Jeep some gas. Sorry I have forgotten to advise we are in a brand new Grand Cherokee Overlander! I had retired my old silver fox at 140 000km.
We breakfast at Ventersdorp- Wimpy of course- have a comfort break and refuel in Vryburg before we end up in time for the sunset drive at Van Zylsrust.
We enjoy early supper, three courses with some gin and soon we hit lullaby land. The hotel is a worthwhile visit with quaint rooms and bar.
It is cold, but a great first stop.
18 June 2015 (11:33PM)- Keetmanshoop
So we start early after a hearty country breakfast. It is minus 4! so we tuck in and take the (unexpectedly) good gravel road. We hit tar at Ashkam and soldier on to the border at Riefontein past Hakskeen pan, the flat pan where they- the British- are planning a world land speed record ( A repeat of Sir Malcolm Campbell’s effort perhaps at Verneukpan almost ninety years ago!)
Near the border Sue suddenly advises she did not pack her new passport and her old one does not have an extra page! We eventually “sneak” over the border with some nice words and cool nerve and buy our Namibian road license at Aruab. We do some shopping at Keetmanshoop. We arrive at Quiver tree forest rest camp at around 2pm Namibian in time to realise we now have gained an hour.
We photo shoot the tame cheetahs feeding and also some meerkat- suricate. We then shoot some sunsets at the quivertree-kokerboom- forest. We meet up with the rest of the ODP team and after dinner we shoot the milky way looking down at the 500 year old kokerboom! I get to bed at 11pm. The holiday has started for real!
An Igloo and a koker boom
19 June 2015 (11:28PM)- Sossusvlei
We leave after a breakfast, we briefly visit Mariental for fuel, fill up and then past Maltahohe to Sossusvlei. we arrive around 2pm at the Dune lodge inside the park. The rest of the team and I depart for Dooie Vlei almost immediately. Sue decides to give it a miss. It is 65km away plus 1,1km walking over a number of tiring dunes. I drag my tired body over the dunes to be received by the beautiful sight of five hundred year old dead camel thorns in a white flat salt pan surrounded by red dunes and blue skies. A favourite of photographers worldwide. I have been blessed.
We arrive as the sun departs over the red dunes. We continue our shooting of the milky way as per the previous night. We arrive back around 8pm, in time for dinner and catch up with newly arrivals brother Marius and son Junior. They are having drinks with wife Sue.
A few ales and wines are enjoyed by all! The team is now complete.
20 June 2015 (06:17PM)-Sossusvlei
We rise early and enjoy a sunrise in the park. We shoot morning landscapes, dunes and go all the way to Dune 45.
We return around 11 and rest for an early departure around 2 30 for our planned night shoot inside Dooie Vlei. This time we are only to return after 9pm. We shoot the milky way with many angles taking our ability to new levels. We return for dinner around 11. A very busy but satisfying day.
21 June 2015 (06:21PM) Sossusvlei
We get up a bit later to shoot animals in the park. We try and get gemsbok in line with dunes with varying success.
We again do a drive in the afternoon and so some shooting with back lighting. we spend time getting to know the team. We share wine stories and life.
We start chatting about the Boer War as it is the life long hobby of one of trip team mates. Marius and I (sadly) realise we do not know the name of our maternal grandfather. All we knew he was a POW in Ceylon. (We now know his name was Pieter Maarten and he was only 14 when the war started)
22 June 2015 (06:35PM)- Swakopmund
We do some early mooring shooting in Dooie vlei ( Third time over the dune and getting really fit now!) We take some spectacular shots at sunrise. We use our 16-35 and 70-200mm lenses!
We then take the road through the desert to Swakopmund. En route we stop at Solataire, well a must for the coffee and apfel strudel. The atmosphere is similar to canon road lodge (except the cheese cake) and well worth the stop.
We arrive around 5pm, in time for a sundowner and some good fish at the Tug Boat restaurant, arguably the best meal so far. Sole for me thank you very much. We stay in the Beach Hotel in great accommodation.
23 June 2015 (06:39PM) Swakopmund
We leave around 8am with Tommy, a larger than life character and tour leader of Living Desert Tours. He reminds me a bit of the raconteur Jan Spies. We meet a number of small creatures who have made the desert their home. We learn to shot macro with a long lens and see a worm, a side winder snake, a chameleon and a desert leguan.
We miss the pomato gecko, but then one cannot have everything!
After lunch we depart for Pelican Point. I misjudge the sand and get stuck but the ODP landcruiser pulls us out after the man with the plan, Marius Jnr, shows the older men the best way out.
This leaves us with precious little time to shoot the surfing seals and the beach master at sunset, but we manage to sneak some shots. We get back without further sand problems for delightful eisbein and kassler! in Swakopmund.
24 June 2015 (07:44PM) Swakopmund
We leave early for Walvis Bay to get off into our boat ride. It looks to be misty start, but it turns out toe be bright sun shine and flat sea. We have lots of fun with pelicans, dolphins, a whale, seals and cormorants. The team ends up with oysters and champagne and continue that and calamari for lunch.
That afternoon we shoot some flamingo’s in the strong breeze that has picked up and we all drive up a steep dune (after some persuasion and scouting) for sun downers, music and beers before we go for dinner in Walvis. We play Pink Floyd, U2, Fleetwood Mac and many others. Sorry Marius we did not get to Pavarotti and his Nine Cs! I think Wim and I should not give up our day job and rather stay in the shower when we sing!
Our best day by far, action pack and all. Wish you were here!
25 June 2015 (07:51PM) Halali
We depart after a healthy breakfast for Etosha. We arrive near Halali and immediately sight a leopard. Sue and almost miss the gate closing as we try and get a nice sunset. ( The rest of the team stay with the leopard and shoot it alighting a tree)
That evening we shoot some elephants at the Moringa waterhole. We celebrate one of our hosts, Ben’s, 51st birthday and Sue and I have been married for 38 years. What an achievement in love and endurance!
26 June 2015 (07:59PM) Halali
We are up early despite the extra wine load. We travel to Rietfontein, Salvodoro, Goas and see a fair amount of game as well as the same leopard from the previous night on the hunt, we miss the kill.
That afternoon we do almost the same round and some of us see a kill by two pale chanting goshawks. We also see our only (and rare for Etosha) White Rhino. That evening we set a trap for the honey badgers that roam the Halali camp site at night. We get them close, but no cigar.
27 June 2015 (08:00PM) Halali
We do the same round again. It is bitterly cold and the animals barely move. We are fortunate to see enough despite the cold.
That afternoon we shoot an aardwolf! A rare occurrence as a first for most of us. The bush always delivers something new! The wolf and jackals are harvesting a plethora of ants. The badger sadly does not comply and we miss them again as they get some early chicken in one of the trash cans.
28 June 2015 (08:01PM) Okaukauje
We do an early morning round at Halali and we travel to Goas and see some black nose impala, kudu and zebra. We leave for Okaukauje around 11, arriving around 1. The temperature has warmed up considerably and the number of active game movements have improved drastically.
That afternoon we have a lion sighting of three very thin lions. A mother and two grown cubs. They need a kill badly.
That evening we shoot a sunset and game at the wonderful water hole near our chalet. One can really stay at this hole all day and night. After dinner I go and have a look and find two hippos in the pool, sorry they were actually rhinos, having a bath!
It was bizarre theatre as we also have two black rhino fighting for more than an hour and a fight between an elephant and a black rhino. Sue gets back from filming after 11! Another fabulous day. Fabulous had indeed become the operative word of our trip.
29 June 2015 (08:01PM) Okaukauje
We check out at Nebrowni and Gemsbokvlakte but settle at Nebrowni for most of the morning. The game start to arrive in droves. We also have three hyena visiting. It hardly can get better.
That afternoon Marius and I travel to Okondeka. We see the biggest herd of Gemsbok on the border of the Etosha pan. we also see a lappet face vulture at a distance and a tawny eagle.
That evening we set up to shoot with flash from the side, a new technique and after some hiccups we master the technique. we need a pocket wizard as my hahnel combo misses a cable. I shoot some great black rhino shots. We also see a lion at water hole- no photo, no cigar.
30 June 2015 (08:03PM) Okaukauje
We again settle for Nebrowni. We have a very productive morning as we find a black rhino at water hole and are soon visited by two hyena and another two lions. -in good condition this time, clearly fresh from a kill.
We also shoot many springbok tussles and another rhino. Altogether a very productive morning.
That afternoon we have a very quiet afternoon and go back early to prepare for the evening shoot. We shoot with side flash before and after supper.. We witness the arrival of more than 20 black rhino in succession and also two male lions and gemsbok. The rhino have another bath and we also have giraffe and many elephant.
1 July 2015 (08:04PM) Gobabis
We say farewell to the waterhole at Okaukauje. We have found a new favourite place, we also say farewell to new friends and we make our way to Kalahari Bush break near the Botswana border, near Gobabis. Accommodation in good shape but the wildebeest steaks not so popular!
2 July 2015 (08:04PM) Home Sweet Home
This is the final leg of our trip. The trip has been more than 1000km and arrive safely back in Johannesburg, Sandton after 7. We have done almost 6000km in total and taken close to 12 000 photos between us. A mammoth processing job awaits. Thanks ODP we enjoyed it very much and made good new friends.
Reflection
The photography was intense and not for the faint hearted or the less experienced photographer as the variance-type of shots-long hours, early rises and intense situations make it challenging and intimidating. It is under this pressure that one must learn to swim or sink and take on diving!
So we have learnt a lot and enjoyed much. The nights at Dooie Vlei was special, day on the boat and its aftermath was a high point, but the water hole at Okaukauje will call us back gain and again.
What have we learnt?
We basically did landscapes and wild life. In particular we did the following:
- Night photography the milky way;
- Shooting with backlights;
- Shoot with long lens in hand;
- Macro with long lens;
- Shooting sunsets and rises;
- Small creatures with flash;
- How (not) to trap a badger;
- Shooting wild life at night;
- Shooting with side flash and pocket wizard; and
- Got to know our cameras and equipment better.
We are on our way to become a photographer!
Auditrails 